Han Xuri never expected Zhao Qingyan to react this way.
She showed neither the shyness of a typical young lady nor the anger of someone who had been defiled.
On the contrary, this calm attitude, even with a hint of disdain, and the fact that he also praised his younger brother, made him feel quite pleased.
Although the person praising her wasn't herself, she was praising her younger brother. No matter how you look at it, this younger brother's wife is more pleasing to the eye than those so-called noble ladies in the capital.
"Now that you've come to the capital, you've attracted attention. If you need anything, feel free to come to Wangyue Tower to find me."
"I may lack other abilities, but in this capital city, I'm more than capable of protecting my younger siblings."
Zhao Qingyan felt that Han Xuri was talking strangely today, and after thinking about it carefully, she realized why.
She constantly reminded herself that he was his younger brother's wife.
Haha, is he afraid of cheating on his younger brother, or is he overjoyed to have found his long-lost brother?
Regardless of the reason, Zhao Qingyan ignored them completely, treating them as if they were genuinely treating her like family.
"Thank you, brother. I can usually handle things myself."
If there's something I really can't solve, I'll definitely ask my older brother for help.
Is it time for dinner, brother?
If not, I'll treat you to dinner today, brother. But it'll have to be on my tab; I simply can't join you.
Zhao Qingyan declined politely, but Han Xuri actually nodded.
"Thank you, sister-in-law. I heard that this Huicui Pavilion was opened by your godfather. Would you be so kind as to introduce us?"
"We'll all be relatives now, so I should at least meet my uncle."
Upon hearing Han Xuri's request, Zhao Qingyan suddenly smiled.
She wondered, if Han Xuri and Zhao's father were placed together, whose aura would be stronger?
"Alright, I'll go see what my godfather is doing now. If it's convenient for him, I'll ask him to come out. Uncle Chang, please help lead Prince Han to the Tianya Room."
After making arrangements for her future brother-in-law, Zhao Qingyan went to the door of Zhao Han's office and knocked.
"Dad, are you free? That Han Shizi, who is also your future son-in-law's older brother, wants to meet you and says he wants to visit your uncle."
Zhao Qingyan said with a smile.
Zhao Han looked up from the schedule he was pondering.
"Are you sure you want me to see him? You're destined to be with that simpleton from now on?"
Zhao Qingyan continued to smile.
"Dad, what are you saying? Do you think I'm the kind of person who starts something and then abandons it, or who says things against my will?"
Besides, where else can you find a guy like Xu Dongsheng who is suitable in every way?
She's good-looking, has a good background, and doesn't have parents yet. How great is that? After we get married, I'll be in charge of all the family finances.
Besides, it seems that here, almost no engaged couples break off their engagements.
So don't even think about finding a better one for your daughter in the future.
Besides, I just like things simple, hahaha…
Zhao Han smiled and shook his head.
"You brat, you talk like you know everything, but you're actually still a lifelong single, never even been in a relationship. Aren't you ashamed?"
Zhao Qingyan swayed her body twice.
"Alright, stop dawdling. Do you want to go and meet my brother-in-law? His business spans the whole country."
Who knows, maybe the two of you might even spark something special.
Zhao Han gestured towards Zhao Qingyan from a distance.
"Alright, I'm going to see your brother-in-law."
Here, the saying goes, "The eldest brother is like a father," which, well, isn't this just a disguised way of visiting in-laws?
Zhao Qingyan was unaware of the specifics of what Han Xuri and Zhao Han discussed.
All that was known was that ten days later, Zhao Han's construction team undertook the construction of the main streets in the capital, and there were also projects extending outwards.
Zhao Qingyan didn't pay much attention to these things; she had too much faith in Zhao Han's abilities.
If a mere shell, an old monster that has lived for thousands of years, can still have problems it can't solve, then it would be better to die of stupidity.
She's been getting annoyed by the constant harassment from several princes lately.
“Miss Zhao, this headdress is the best I specially selected from Baoyu Pavilion to give to you.”
Since the Hundred Flowers Banquet, I have been captivated by Miss Zhao's beauty, and my longing for her has only grown stronger with each passing day.
Unable to bear the pain of unrequited love, I have come to express my feelings to you, Miss. Please forgive me if I have acted inappropriately.
I wonder if Miss Zhao has any interest in me?
"If Miss does not object, then today I will go and beg my mother for her favor, and one day I will certainly take Sister Zhao as my concubine."
Standing before Zhao Qingyan, the man with the flirtatious air of a peacock was none other than the current Ninth Prince.
Zhao Qingyan stared at the other person expressionlessly, her dark eyes as still as a deep well.
He suddenly laughed.
"Ninth Prince, before you expressed your feelings to me, did you investigate my family's ancestral precepts?"
The Ninth Prince always considered himself an outstanding individual, superior to the Crown Prince in every way except for his status.
After all, his mother was an Imperial Noble Consort, second only to the Empress, and her family background was even more impressive; his maternal grandfather was Grand Tutor Mu Qianqiu.
The prince, who had always considered himself irresistibly charming, was quite surprised to not see the shy and timid demeanor he had expected, nor the ecstatic joy he had anticipated.
Thinking Zhao Qingyan was playing hard to get, he said,
“Miss Zhao, a beautiful and graceful lady is sought after by gentlemen. Since I admire you, why should I bother investigating your background?”
Zhao Qingyan smiled again, a smile as radiant as spring flowers, striking the Ninth Prince's heart.
He felt as if he had been electrocuted, and his whole body trembled.
Naturally, the prince's composure was unmatched by ordinary people.
After calming himself down as much as possible, he said, "Miss Zhao also has feelings for me, doesn't she?"
Zhao Qingyan neither said it was intentional nor unintentional, but rather casually recited the Zhao family's ancestral precepts.
"The rule that daughters of the Zhao family are not to be concubines has been followed for hundreds of years and has not been broken here."
One more thing I forgot to mention: I'm already engaged. We're just waiting to get married after I come of age.
Ninth Prince, please leave. Pretend I didn't hear anything about what happened today.
Huicui Pavilion also has many delicious foods and fun things to do, especially on the 20th of this month, when several of our shops will open at the same time, all featuring novel items.
Welcome, Ninth Prince, to the palace.
"I have other matters to attend to, so I won't take up any more of your time, Ninth Prince."
After saying that, Zhao Qingyan walked away gracefully.
The Ninth Prince stood motionless for a long time.
The others who came with the Ninth Prince saw that he hadn't returned for a long time and assumed that he must have won the favor of the young master of the Huicui Pavilion.
A feast for the eyes.
The food had been served long ago. The Ninth Prince was accompanied by a beautiful woman, while those who were just there to watch the spectacle were also feeling quite uncomfortable, unable to touch the delicious food.
Some people, emboldened by their courage, decided to go out and ask when they could start eating.
When the results came out, the Ninth Prince was seen standing there alone, head down and silent.
"Ninth Prince, what's going on? Has the young master agreed to become a concubine in the prince's residence?" Lang Ruping asked.
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